To help out — we’ve put together a list of our best “cold weather wedding” tips for you!

Choose a venue that enables you to have both your ceremony + reception at the same place. This leads to less transportation time, as well as less time spent “out in the elements.” Looking for a venue that can make this happen? Scroll to the bottom of this post for a list of options in Texas + Oklahoma!

Consider having both your ceremony + reception indoors. If you will be getting married at THE SPRINGS, be sure to check out our guide to indoor ceremonies. It has just about everything you need to know, plus lots of photo inspiration + FAQs!

But if you’re set on an outdoor ceremony — we support that! Let’s chat through a few more tips below.

Keep your outdoor wedding in mind while dress shopping — for both you and your bridesmaids. Same goes for the groom // groomsmen attire. For the bride + bridesmaids, consider long dresses. Maybe go all-in and opt for long sleeves, as well. PRO-TIP: it’s easy to sneak a pair of warm leggings beneath a long dress — helps keep you warm and no one will ever know! For the guys, wool suits should help keep out the chill and also happen to be oh-so-dapper.

B R I D E S — consider purchasing a pretty, formal coat to wear in some of your outdoor photos. So fun + seasonal. PLUS, you can also put it on again for your Grand Exit at the end of the night!

When choosing your ceremony start time, research and check the sunset time. During these colder weather months, the sun sets earlier in the day and you may want to keep this in mind, as even just a bit of sun can help keep your guests happy + warm. Our favorite app for all weather-related things is Dark Sky. That said, if you’re dreaming of a moonlit ceremony, we can certainly make that happen as well, being that all SPRINGS ceremony sites are readily illuminated! PRO TIP: the addition of twinkle lights or cafe lighting is so, so romantic.

Inform your guests ahead of time that the ceremony will be outside. Send out an email or some sort of message encouraging your guests to dress warmly, bring a coat or even a blanket!

Invest in a good face moisturizer. This will ensure that your skin does not dry out in the cold weather.

Consider doing a First Look and then knocking out your wedding party photos PRIOR to your ceremony. Since these will be taken earlier in the day, you’ll have great lighting for your photos. Plus, it will also cut down on the time you’ll have to spend outdoors following your ceremony — all that’s left will be family portraits!

Look into renting outdoor, patio heaters. You are welcome to surround the ceremony site with these heaters, keeping your guests nice + toasty while you say your vows.

Allow your guests to wait inside before the ceremony begins. You don’t have to necessarily let EVERYONE wait inside, but we do recommend letting your grandparents + older guests do so.
If you’re up for it, let everyone enjoy the warmth indoors for a few minutes before heading out to the ceremony site!

Offer warm drinks upon arrival. As your guests make their way to their seats, encourage them to stop by the drink station and grab a warm drink to sip on throughout the ceremony — we’re thinking hot chocolate, coffee, apple cider, etc. Yummy drink + a handwarmer all-in-one!

Provide blankets for your guests to use during the ceremony. You can normally find these fleece blankets for a pretty decent price at Walmart, Academy, Amazon, etc. Choose a few colors that match your theme and make a cute sign to go alongside them. You could also have little hand warmers + mini Kleenex packets available here. 🙂

Start your ceremony on time.This keeps your guests out in the cold for as little time needed.

Keep your ceremony as short + sweet as possible.

Consider having a coat check as your guests make their way back inside for the reception. This is by no means a “must have” — just something special that could set your event apart.

Offer your guests warm snacks. As they head back inside for the reception, offer warm snacks as part of your cocktail hour. S’mores station. Tomato soup shooters. Mini grilled cheeses. The options are limitless and so yummy!

Have a spiked (or non-spiked) hot chocolate // coffee // apple cider bar. In the summertime, we recommend frozen margaritas + specialty iced drinks, but when the weather gets chilly, we like to cozy up with some warmer options.

If you’re still looking for the perfect venue to host YOUR cold weather wedding, contact us today —
we’d love to have you out to tour THE SPRINGS

Rylee is the Content Marketing Strategist for THE SPRINGS. She was formerly the Venue Assistant Manager at THE SPRINGS in Weatherford and was married August 2017 at THE SPRINGS in Denton. She has seen hundreds of weddings and planned her own in just six short months.